Dental mirror



c, J. ummzavvoon. DENTAL MIRROR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, I919.

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GIIEQTEB J. UNDEJENVOQD, F ll'lLG-IN, ILLINUIEE.

lDiElllTltlh MIRROR.

isaaria Specification. of Letters Patent.

Patented duly G,

Application filed .Tuly 3. 1919. Serial No. 308,411.21.

To all whom it may concern: H lie it known that l, (h-rns'rnn J. UNDER- woon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fllgin, in the county of Cook and tltate of lllinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Dental Mirrors, of which the following is a specification.

l lly invention relates to improvements in the class of hand-mirrors used by dentists in exploring the mouths of patients and filling teeth. My improved mirror is designed to ac complish two primary objects: First, more particularly in a1nalgam-fillin.g, that of intercepting pieces of the filling-material from dropping into the patient s month during the operation and thereby becoming wet and thus spoiled for use; and, secondly, that of enabling the mirror-proper to be readily removed from theholder, so that the instrument may be sterilized without subjecting the mirror-element to the heat of sterilication, and as readily replaced and locked in its operative position in the holder.

ln connection with the firstaiamed of the aforesaid objects, the following brief ere planation may be made:

For filling an upper tooth with amalgam, the dentist prepares a quantity thereof, just about enough to fill. the cavity because, since amalgam sets quickly and cannot be used when set, any surplus is wasted. Moreover, since amalgam is spoiled by contact with moisture, any that accidentally drops into the patients month during the operation becomes wet and is thus wasted; and the loss in that manner is liable to be enough to so deplete the prepared supply as to render the latter insufficient to complete the filling and necessitate the preparation of a fresh supply, during which the amalgam already in the cavity may become wet and have to be taken out, requiring the work to be performed over again, because the fresh amalgam should not be applied. against that which has become wet in the tooth-cavity.

its to the second-named of the aforesaid objects, it is obviously undesirable to on pose the mirroif-proper to the heat of sterilination to which the instrument is frequently subjected, while it is important if that element is rendered removable for the sterilizing purpose, that provision be made not in its replaced position and unlocking it for its removal therefrom Both of these objects are accomplished by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a dentists mirror embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a section on line 22, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view like that presented in Fig. 2, but with the mirror-element removed; F ig, 4!: is a top plan view of the mirror-elementg llig. 5 is an enlarged section on line 5-5, Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view in perspective of the mirrorelement.

"lhe holderel.ement 7, of the preferred usual circular shape, and which is shown to be provided with the ordinary handle 8, comprises a base having an annular rim extending from it to form a shield 9 extending circumfcrentially entirely about the base. The dished holder is of a depth materially greater than that of the mirror-member 10, which seats in it against the holder-base.

l lhen the instrument is being used for filling an upper tooth with, say, amalgam, any of the material that accidentally drops in filling the cavity will lodge. on the eX- posed dry surface of the mirror-element and be intercepted from getting into the patients mouth and thus becoming wet; and the operator may then pick it up and introduce it into the cavity, thereby avoiding depletion of his supply and the other objectionable consequences herein before referred to. lt may be emphasized, in this connection, that the shield. 9 should extend entirely, or substantially so, about the holder-base, since if there be any opening of material size in. it, saliva from the patients mouth is liable to flood the mirror and render it unsuitable for my pin-pose. l l hile my improvement relating to the shield is primarily intended for use as an amalgamtray in filling teeth, its advantage is also present in filling with other material which requires to be maintained in dry condition and which, when intercepted in dropping on the surface of the mirror-element may be ,picked up by the operator and used in the filling operation.

[it diametrically-opposite points on the annular shield 9 are shown inwardly-projecting studs or pins 11 and 12; and the mirror-element 10 is provided with an edgenotch 13, at opposite sides of which the surface is beveled as shown at 14, and with a second edge-notch 15 near the notch 13. Thus the mirror-element is rendered removably insertible into the holder and is adapted to be locked in its confined position. For inserting the mirror, its edge is introduced underneath the pin 11 and the notch 13 is brought into registration with the pin 13 to pass under the latter, whereupon the manipulator inserts a pointed instrument, such as a dentists explorer, into the notch 15 as a medium for rotating the mirror-ele ment in its seat far enough, in either direction to take the notch 13 out of registration with the pin 12, under which latter a beveled section 14 is thereby wedged to lock the mirror-element and hold it securely in place. To release the mirror-element preparatory to Withdrawing it from the holder, the explorer may be again inserted into the'notch to turn that element and bring the notch 13 .into registration with the pin 12, thereby unlocking the mirror-element,

whereupon it may be readily lifted out.

As will be seen, with the shield entirely enveloping the mirror-element, it protects the latter from contact with the tissues of the mouth of the next patient, so that sterili. zation of that element is rendered unnecessary.

I realize that considerable variation is possible in the details of construction thus specifically shown and described, and I do not intend by illustrating single specific embodiments of my invention to be limited thereto, my intention being, in the following claims, to claim protection upon all the novelty there may be in my invention as broadly as the state of the art will permit.

I claim:

1. A dental mirror comprising a. dished holder for the mirror-element, provided with inward projections on its rim, and av mirror-ele1ne11t seating in said. holder and having an edge-slot to register with one of said projections for admitting said element into place in the holder, and to be moved out of such registration to confine said element in place by adjusting it in its seat.

2. A dental mirror comprising a holder provided with a circumferential shield for the mirror-element, opposite projections extending inwardly from said shield, and a mirror-element rotatably seating in said holder and having an edge-slot with a beveled surface extending therefrom and a second edge-slot at which to rotate said element in its seat for adjusting said firstnamed slot into and out of registration with one of said projections and wedgingly engaging therewith said beveled surface.

CHESTER J UN DERWOOD. 

